This Saskatoon street is home to 'wonderful' historic houses
The 500 block of 11th Street East near Broadway Avenue is known as a hidden historic gem in the city.
“Because it evolved over time, it has representation from almost every building era,” researcher Dianne Wilson told CTV News.
That is unique in a city that doesn’t always value old in favour of new, according to Wilson.
“In the older neighbourhoods there has been so much recent demolition and infill,” she said.
No new buildings have been constructed on the block since 1950.
The styles include a 1911 brick house with a truncated hipped roof, which once had an exposed porch that was closed in because of cold weather for more than half the year and mosquitos in the summer.
Then there’s a 1920s American Tudor style with the exposed rafter tails and bell eaves and the newest house on the block which is a 1949 flat roofed international style Art Moderne home.
But it’s the oldest home on the block which is the biggest “little secret” if you ask Peggy Sarjeant with the Saskatoon Historical Society.
It’s an ornate pink craftsman home built in 1903 that is her favourite. She would like to see it designated as a municipal heritage property, adding to only two others on the street.
Saskatoon buildings should be celebrated for their uniqueness, she said.
Brick buildings here for example are considered more elaborate and prestigious which is why most homes were made of wood which was easy to get in a remote area in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
“And to me that’s a wonderful thing. I came from a country where most things were made with brick or stone to me a wooden house is very strange,” said Sarjeant, who is from England.
That reality makes deterioration more likely which is another reason she would like to see more restoration done to older homes so they can be preserved for years to come.
The historic street is even complete with an apartment building built in 1912. There is a large unique garage in the alley which once housed tenant vehicles and it’s from that rear vantage point that you can see a rare spiral fire escape which is still intact and operational today.
It’s also unusual compared to other apartment blocks because of the two elaborate suites in the front.
“Each are essentially a three-bedroom two-storey house. It’s got a parlour, a dining room and a kitchen,” Wilson says. One of those is still functioning as a two-storey while the other was renovated into two separate suites.
Sarjeant suggests visiting the public library local history room for more information.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.